U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved a request to provide the Secret Service with additional military support capabilities for presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the upcoming election, the Pentagon and the Secret Service said separately on Thursday.
The Secret Service and the safety of the candidates have become a more significant concern following last month’s assassination attempt against GOP nominee Donald Trump, as well as a plot by the Iranians to kill the disgraced former President and anyone from his first administration who was involved in the January 2020 assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh did not provide details on the type of support that would be provided but said Austin had directed U.S. Northern Command to plan and provide support to the Secret Service at various locations during the election.
A Secret Service spokesperson said later the agency has strengthened its protective operations following the July 13 Pennsylvania rally of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in which the former president was shot and survived an assassination attempt.
“As part of this effort, the Department of Defense is providing the U.S. Secret Service with additional assistance including logistics, transportation, and communications, through the 2024 campaign season,” the Secret Service spokesperson said.
Security at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally came under scrutiny over concerns about how the suspect was able to access a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to where Trump was speaking.
The Secret Service has said it was “ashamed” of the security lapse and its chief stepped down in the aftermath.
A rally attendee was killed in the shooting and two others were wounded. The FBI has not yet been able to determine what motivated the shooting suspect.
Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are in a tight race for the Nov. 5 U.S. elections.
The Pentagon has a long history of providing support to the Secret Service when asked to assist.
“The Department of Defense has supported Secret Service protective activities for the sitting president and vice president since Congress passed the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976,” said Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service. “As has been the case for many years, the U.S. Secret Service relies on federal, state and local partners to assist with protective operations.”
The Secret Service, Guglielmi said, has recently bolstered its protective operations in order to ensure higher levels of safety and security for those it protects.
“As part of this effort, the Department of Defense is providing the U.S. Secret Service with additional assistance including logistics, transportation and communications, through the 2024 campaign season,” Guglielmi said. “The U.S. Secret Service appreciates the invaluable commitment of our military partners and their continued support.”
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